This episode first aired in the US on the Sci-Fi Channel.

(I cannot read all my notes, especially the disjoined did you notice bits, so please forgve me for ommissions.)

Writer: William Bigelow
Director: Paul Lynch
Guests: Maury Ginsberg (5579-A), J.D. Cullum (Arlo), Reno Wilson (James), Richard Fancy (Sector Control)
Background: None necessary
Plot:

The Sliders exit the wormhole into an alley. Mallory lands in a rubbish tip full of shredded paper. Maggie goes to a vending machine and finds it doesn't take cash. It talks to her, asking for her data number. A camera is trained on her. It tells her to press one and she is scanned. A blacked out van with 'DU' (is that just my abbreviation?) on backs towards her, opens and pulls her in before driving off.

CREDITS

There are ten hours to find Maggie.

Maggie slides downa chute and is faced with a viewscreen with a Data Universal re[resenative on, named 5579A. She is to be processed.

Diana tries to get into a magazine stand. Remmy tried to find a phone number for Data Universal, but the message is recorded. Rejoins Diana. They watch a man get assigned magazines according to a barcode. They try to talk to people, but they are all ignored. A person looking like a bum speaks to them though. He talks to them about the place. The persuade him to tkae on Data Universal with them. He has stuff that can help.

Maggie scans her braceet and is given a temporary number. She has to build up a profile so they can work out needs. She decides to call the rep Guy.

Nine hours to go. Arlo used to work for Data Universal. Data Universal takes care of people, if you abide by their rules. They know everything about you, so you don't have to think. Before Data Universal gave everyone a single number, Arlo had a credit card stash. He says they're probably processing her, but how she'll be treated depends on how well she cooperates.

Because Maggie wants out quickly (? it could read something different), she is to be processed using the patented rapid processing system. It takes two hours. Unfortunately, it requires a brain scan under local or general anaesthetic. She is locked into a chair and does not get a choice. A beam approaches. She pleads with Guy to stop it. A retina scan is performed. She matches with her double, who doesn't spend much. Now she is to go into rehabilitation to make her spend more. Three weeks of basic bio-behaviour and credit card counselling. The chair drives out of the room and drives her elsewhere.

The other three and Arlo think up a way in.

Maggie is taken to the waiting room. There she meets a refuser called James who has been there for six year.

The Sliders tempt the vending machine. Diana is scanned. Arlo hears the scoop approaching. They run and Rembrandt taunts it, while Arlo climbs on top, but he gets thrown off.

Maggie talks to James. He's surprised she has friends on the outside.

Rembrandt taunts the van again, while amllory jumps onto it and gets inside to shut it ogg. It stops and Mallory hotwires it.

Maggie calls up guy on the computer.

Mallory and Remmy chat about stealing cars. Mallory used to steal them for sport as a kid; he was rather wild, Five years in a wheelchair was the result (or did it do that to him? Not sure I understand what I wrote)

Maggie persuades Guy to let her orfer out so she can get her balance up.

The van reaches Data Universal. The van is scanned in 2.5 hours to go.

Maggie uses the fertiliser she ordered to make two bombs (just in case). Blows it. Works first time. James goes with her. They try to find a way out. They go to visit her acocunt rep. She finds out Guy is just a computer. They leave. James is afraid of how he'll survive and goes back to the waiting room.

Arlo and the others arrive inside Data Universal. Take a chute down. Met by guy. Arlo has the bracelet of a CEO.

Maggies account is passed to sector control. She's made to go there. She meets a man from his office. Realise that MAggie is not the one logged in. So to solve the problem, they are deleting her. Maggie is followed by a little security thing which zaps her if she doesn;t go where she is told. Guy helps her by separating her from the overseer. It starts lasering though the door.

The others go to Arlo's old office - it's Guy's computer and they realised what he was replaced by. Guy tells them where to find Maggie. They find her and have to run. Go back to the waiting toom and blow the overseer up with the other bomb. Arlo and James decide to work out how to live without Data Universal. Guy as well.

Open vortex and Slide.

Did You Notice? (some missing as I have no idea what I wrote)
* Numbers: Overseer 791; vehicle 775; Maggie - 36041688A; Arlo Higgins - 719 something; man - 491538166B;Guy - 5579A
* Maggie types 1007B
* Magie Beckett, resides San Fransisco California. Spending habits non-cooperative, zero debt.
* American Provincial bank (card). Never been swipes. Mastercard 1989 1198-4127-6558-9511. Other mastercards and visas visible?
* Arlo Higgins, Data Universal's Account Rep of the Month.
* Maggie's favourite place to live was the little house she shared with Jensen in San Fransisco. It had a small garden.
* "Data Universal is there for you in every way."

Cool Quotes:

My Opinion:
Again, it's been a while since I saw this one so I'm not sure how much I'll understand of my notes.

Beforehand, I was quite skeptical of this episode. First off, it was by William Bigelow. I hadn't liked either of his pervious ventures ('The Chasm' was generally a big mess IMHO and there was something about 'The Dying Fields' that I didn't like). However, although this wasn't one of the best episodes, it was easily the best of Bigelow's and certainly not the worst of this season so far (that honour has to go to 'The Great Work'). If fact, it was quite enjoyable, even if i didn't like some things about it.

Y'know, I've started noticing how Americans pronounce stuff diffrently from us Brits. It started with the 'paaaaaaaaaaaaasta' and then there was 'datta.' Hmm. Quite confusing and even funny sometimes. Not really relevant to the episode, but nevermind.

I didn't like the tractor beam at the beginning. It just seemed a little... fake. I guess it's quite difficult to manage something like that. The food conversation before it was relatively funny though.

I've written 'Guy discontinuity' but I din't know what on this Earth I was on about, so can anyone help? I did like Maggie's moeny speech; that was pretty cool.

There wasn't really any alternate history shown. well, I know that Data Universal controlled everything. I guess there was a sort of alternate history, but only kinda.

When Remmy mentioned feeling like a number, I was expecting one of them to say, 'I am not a number; I am a free man!' That would have been funny :-) I was surprised they didn't. I remember watching 'The Prisoner' reruns when I was younger.

Again, I didn't like the brain scan. I think it might have something to do with the technical stuff. I suppose I was more okay with that than the tractor beam. It wasn't too bad I guess. The quite safe and 87% survival rate made me laugh, but only because it seemed so contradictory!

Oh, I was ROTFLMOA when Maggie asked Guy about boxers or briefs!!!!!! Oh, that's a classic :-) And I loved her expression when she said it! That was the best (as in funniest) part of the episode IMHO :-)

Didn't Maggie do a lot of shopping in season 4? I know that doesn't mean her double here did, but I though our Maggie was a pretty good shopper. Good in the sense of buys lots. I love to shop (do I????).

'Duplicate' greets the ear much nicer than 'Alternate.' It's not quite 'double' but it's closer. Why did they change that anyway? Were they trying to politicaly correct it or something?

It was obvious to me that Guy would turn out to be a computer. and I also thought it was obvious that where he was would be Arlo's old office, from the first time we new Arlo had been replaced. Quite handy that.

That was a little evil darkening of the screen when he got mad!

I did love the Arlo and Diana stuff. Especially the looks on Diana's face! A little light comic relief there :-)

I didn't quite get the point of the first chase for the van. Or really the second either, although they did that to get it. Perhaps that was to get a little action in.

The scanner shouldn't have needed to scan the barcode on the van that many times, should it? Isn't once usually enough?

I see Maggie uses her military skilles for once. More continuity. She doesn't seem to use them as much as she could.

Guy shouldn't be able to see Maggie! Except perhaps in the interrogation place. Yet he can see her in corridors and other people in his office. And he doesn't even multitask because he stops talking to some unknown person when the others get into his office! Ooh, confusion. He also has a lot of rebellion and feelings for a computer. Not to be mean or anything.

I wanna go down the chute!!!

That overseer bot thing, was cute, but rather cheesy. Reminded me of a skutter actually (especially considering one of Craig Charles' stories about them!). Couldn't Maggie just kick the thing? And I knew there had to be a reason Maggie made two bombs! And a load of good it would do her to hold her upper leg when the thing zapped her lower leg! I do like Maggie's top in this episode, the darkish purple one. I want one.

At least they didn't change this world completely. This episode wasn't outstanding, but it wasn't awful either and I would place it slightly above average. It was quite fun in places, if cheesy in others.